Ignite
by palomino333
Summary: "Sigyn knew only Loki Odinson, and not the true creature he was. It stabbed at him so sharply inside, but at least he wasn't alone." Loki finds both solace and sorrow in his lady.


I was entranced by the character of Loki. After I got back home from seeing Thor, I pulled out the old Norse mythology book I'd been given as a child. When I read over the parts about him, I saw the story of how he'd been punished for causing Baldur's demise. The punishment consisted of him being bound, and having the venom of a snake drip on him. His wife, Sigyn, stayed by his side to relieve his pain. She in herself was tricky to write. I tried not to present her as entirely good or entirely evil. Instead, I wanted to portray her as devoted to Loki, which meant she was devoted to the wrong cause, although she was left ignorant of it.

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><p>Loki didn't know what was more humiliating, the fact that he of all gods was wounded, or the knowledge that he had to hide said wound, as it was his own fault. As a trickster, he was accustomed to hiding. Today he'd gotten a little too cocky about it. That was something his brother would have been more likely to do. The comparison to him stung even worse than the arrowhead that was sticking out of his shoulder.<p>

What had poor Loki learned? It wasn't the brightest idea to disguise himself as a deer, and dare to outrun Thor's arrows. The god of thunder's friends had been unable to score a hit on his hide, which had added to his confidence. Thor, however, had been a different story. The only way he'd managed to stop his brother from catching and gutting him to lope behind a tree, transform into a fox, and painfully dart down a bluff. He'd then returned to his god form, taking care to leave the fox's pelt behind. Loki had managed to yank the shaft out, and hide the head under his cloak when Thor and the others had found him. They had been suspicious of his disappearance (especially Sif and Hogun) but the fox's skin had been his needed testimony. It had taken a great amount of endurance to keep from crying out over the pain. The hunt had dragged on, with Thor following the trail of the one that got away over and over and OVER. Finally, Fandral made him call it a day.

Despite the pain, Loki felt a sense of victory in the fact that he'd completely and utterly baffled his brother. Then again, that sense was rather small, considering this hadn't been the first time he had done such a thing. Loki winced as he better inspected the state of the injury. Thanks to his cloak rubbing against it, the affected area had become irritated. It needed to be extracted, but his previous attempts to tug on it had only caused more anguish. He needed help. A smile formed on his face as the answer came almost immediately. His princess consort, Sigyn, could assist him. She was perfect. She knew her place as a domestic well, and was skilled in healing others. She had learned the majority of through experience, and the rest from her mother. Gritting his teeth once more against the pain, Loki made to haste to seek her assistance.

XXXXXX

"Oh dear!" Sigyn exclaimed upon seeing the ugly wound. Loki smiled bitterly, but said nothing as she fussed over him. The clothing that covered his torso was off, generously revealing the abrasion. It had in fact quite deteriorated. The wound itself was a sticky mess with the arrowhead cutting fiercely into the flesh. New blood welled up and dribbled down past the dark pink, almost maroon skin, onto the much paler sort beyond.

"It is not attractive, I'll admit, but you have certainly seen worse," he replied in a calm voice.

Sigyn shook her head as she soaked a rag in steaming hot water. Its heat, Loki noticed, was causing sweat to bed on her pale face under her crown of pale blonde hair. Both shined slightly as she rose and moved toward him. "This may sting a bit," she warned, pressing it to the skin.

Loki winced momentarily, knowing it would soon become worse. A small metallic clink came. She was warning him of the presence of the pincers. He gave a curt nod, biting his lip and fastening his hands tightly around the arms of the chair in which he was sitting. The grip became iron as Sigyn yanked out the arrowhead. It fell into a bowl positioned on his lap with a plop. Loki refused to allow himself to grunt in pain, but the jerk his body gave was enough. "I'm sorry," she whispered, removing the bowl before beginning to clean the ugly cut. His shoulders sagged, indicating that he felt no animosity toward her.

He cast a gaze over at her as she worked, and smiled. Her head bobbed up and down in an almost inquisitive pattern. Her brow was knit as she concentrated. Her touch was light and soft in order to put him in as little pain as she could manage. Loki loved her fragility. Sigyn was easy to manipulate. It wasn't because of incompetence; Loki couldn't stand foolish women due to their uncanny knack to bore him senseless. It was because she didn't question, didn't disobey, and didn't try to rule the household. The reins were in his hand, and he enjoyed it. Such a trait had made her quite a coveted object among the gods, but he had won her. Yes, Loki had something that his brother had not. It was a shame, however, that the prize was the favor of a lady, rather than that of his sire. The latter meant so much more. Strength in his identity…The crown…The ability to always top his brother…The god of mischief knew it was better to count his blessings, but it was so easy to refuse.

Her hair brushed against his bare skin. It tickled slightly, and felt so good…Loki linked the fingers of his free hand through its strands. Sigyn raised her head for a moment. It was tilted to the side, her gray eyes narrow. He chuckled, letting go to wave his hand. "Well, go on. I wasn't stopping you." She looked back down, but not without him catching the irritation in her eyes. Loki thought it was rather interesting that while Sigyn had her own opinion on things, she expressed it only in ways that were hard to see, unlike the obnoxious Sif. It was an advantage. Sigyn couldn't hide any secrets from his sharp eyes, but at the same time, she could also hold much from those who were not their allies.

It was also how Loki was able to take her as his own. A lady of her sort was too boring in the eyes of Thor, but his brother saw her in a different light. Thor would not have been victorious even if he had tried. Tales of battles and hunts, along with gifts, had failed to interest her. The suitors had been none the wiser due to her politeness, and lack of ability to say "no." Loki, however, had seen her disdain in how she had sat rather stiffly while listening to those stories, as if self-conscious. The tales had given her too much time for her mind to wander to trivial matters. She had always looked much more comfortable at the beginning of a tale, as opposed to the end. She had also tended to neither give a sign of affection, nor return one.

He, however, had been different. Loki had won her heart by way of his specialty: trickery. Sigyn had found it highly amusing that at a mere finger snap, he had been able to unleash chaos into Asgard. Combined with that had been the fact that he had occasionally "kidnapped" her, whisking her away from Asgard without Heimdall noticing. Loki had made her swear to keep quiet about that. Sigyn, not wanting this god who had brought such fresh air to her monotonous life to stay, had held her tongue. He had seen absolutely no need to tell her that those adventures had been test runs for a much larger purpose.

Loki let out a sigh of relief as the bandage was placed on top. "It is finished," Sigyn announced after surveying her work.

He stroked her hand. "I suppose I should display a sign of gratitude."

She smiled. "It would be nice if you did so."

Loki returned it. "Very well," he leaned forward, "I, Loki Odinson, wish to extend my most humble thanks to you, Lady Sigyn, for your kind act of healing my shoulder."

Sigyn giggled, and his smile turned wry. It had been playacting on his part. Never would Loki wish to stoop so low as to admit that he had help with anything. That would be the closest he would come to that, and they both knew it. "Well then, I, Lady Sigyn, gratefully accept."

Loki chose that moment to steal a kiss. Or a few. Her lips and skin were so soft, so tender…And they were his only. He groaned in pleasure as she caressed his bare chest, lovingly stroking the lean pectoral and abdominal regions. He hated the fact that could never be as well-muscled as the men he found himself in competition against, but Sigyn never seemed to notice. Well, he would just have to repay her. Loki nuzzled against her neck, pushing her hair out of the way with his nose. Sigyn shuddered, letting out a small sigh. The sigh turned into a cry of pleasure as he gave a small bite to her neck, sucking on it slightly. She would have a nice red mark from it, a brand of his own.

XXXXXX

"Your Majesty," Sigyn whispered, bowing low and gathering her skirts in her hands. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, her hair veiling her face. Loki frowned at the sight. True, Sigyn had no right to look him in the eye. Thor's friends had defied that, much to his frustration, especially since they had done so in the throne room. But Sigyn…She was the one that knew him the most well outside of his family. His family. Loki gnashed his teeth at that. No, they weren'this family, not after what his "father" had so graciously kept from him for all those years had been revealed. Now that he thought of it, only Odin knew him well. The others only saw a disguise. What hurt even more was how he had been so manipulated. He had been compared to his brother for years among years…That was all changed now. He had achieved his retribution. The crown was on his head. Asgard was on its knees for him. For HIM. Not Thor, not Odin. HIM. It felt so good. He had defied the god who had tried to control his entire existence. His future was in his hands.

At the same time, there was this sad sight before him that detracted from this glory. Sigyn was afraid of him. She was his wife, true, but he could do whatever he liked to her. She was his subject. No. He wouldn't ever think of harming her. She meant much more than that to him. They had their passionate trysts, yes, but she was by no means his whore. She was someone he could talk to, in whom he could find comfort…Loki couldn't bear to see her kneeling before him like a servant. He fell to one knee to get on her eye level. Reaching out, he touched a hand softly to her cheek.

Sigyn looked up, the fear still in her eyes. It pained him to see her glassy gaze. Asgard was clenched in his fist, and therefore, she was as well. She looked so lost…It was such a far cry from the poised and kind goddess for whom he had fallen. His hands fell to her waist, and he rose, bringing her up with him. After a few moments, she slowly placed hers around him, knowing better than to talk. Loki sighed, letting go of her for a moment to grab his helmet, but never once breaking his gaze with her. Sigyn took that as a cue to let go of him as well, but he shook his head.

The helmet clattered to the floor behind him. She let out a small, wordless cry at the noise, her expression remaining nervous for a few moments before changing to something more serene. Her features relaxed as she realized that he meant her no harm. Loki reinforced that revelation by wrapping his arms around her, and holding her protectively to him. It was she who stole the kiss this time. It was chaste, but it was soft, and sweet.

She smiled, blushing as he kissed her closed eyelids, one after the other. Once Thor and the Frost Giants were dealt with, he would make her his queen. In the meantime, he would clutch this beautiful flame to him in such dark times. Loki decided never to tell her who he really was. That would be foolish. Sigyn cared very well for him, yes, but she was still a goddess. She feared the Giants. She would fear him again, and that would not be easily revoked. His fingers on her back clenched for a moment as he realized that she would probably never stop fearing him if he told her. Sigyn knew only Loki Odinson, and not the true creature he was. It stabbed at him so sharply inside, but at least he wasn't alone. He could never afford to be alone. It would make him as cold as the Giant that wore his very skin.

XXXXXX

"You wished to see me, Your Majesty?" Sigyn asked in a meek voice as she exited out onto the balcony, her hands clasped together. Thor nodded solemnly as she joined him near the rail, bowing respectfully as she did so. Her hair was stirred softly by the wind over her pale face. Underneath its strands, he could clearly see that she was biting her lip. Sigyn kept her head down as she straightened up, her eyes averted, and her hands once more clasped. His sister-in-law looked rather pitiful.

He turned, placing his hands on the rail to look out. "Lady Sigyn, will you please look with me?" She didn't need to be asked twice. It was probably much easier to not look at him while speaking.

A few moments of silence passed. It wasn't awkward, yet it also wasn't comfortable. Thor was frustrated with her for standing with his brother, even when Loki had truly lost his mind. At the same time, however, he knew better than to harm her. It was wrong to abuse a woman in such a way. Yet, he couldn't dismiss his irritation. He didn't mind not looking at her, either. Instead, he took out his exasperation on the railing by squeezing it rather hard. Thor had been doing that for quite some time already, and he had a feeling that he would leave a nice-sized dent in it.

Unfortunately, due to her quiet demeanor, he had to be the one to break the ice. Thor pointed above the towering buildings of Asgard toward the sky. She said nothing, but he could tell she was following him. His arm was hard to miss. "It is odd how vast it is, isn't it?"

"Yes, my lord," she replied woodenly.

He continued on, "We gods are blessed with much power, yet we stand as nothing in comparison to the universe itself," he smiled to himself as he remembered having a similar discussion with Jane, "We proudly believe ourselves to be its rulers when we are not. It should punish us for this, but instead, it is merciful." His hand fell.

Sigyn cleared her throat. The voice that followed was far less strong. It reminded him of a mouse. "Do you…Do you believe that it is treating your brother as kindly as it treated you?" Thor turned his gaze toward her, and saw that she kept her face decidedly in the direction of the sky. Whether it was her shame, or her thoughts of Loki that made her do this, he couldn't say. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the universe wasn't kind to him, rather it had led him on a journey that, while amusing and magnificent, had made him come to terms with his inner evils. He had learned to loathe himself, and it hadn't been easy.

If Loki wished to return to Asgard, he would have to face the same. That was, if he ever could. Thor both wished for and wished against Sigyn seeing the pain in his eyes. He had lost both the connection to not only his own lady, but his brother as well. She had lost the link to the god she loved. Jane's smiling face appeared in his mind, and was quickly followed by that of Loki, waywardness glowing in his eyes. That didn't make the connection lose any amount of value. He knew that if Sigyn turned toward him, he would see his pain reflected back at him, although less so. She hadn't known Jane like he had. Instead, he replied, "It is as kind to him as he allows, just as this world is to you as I allow."

It was then that she turned toward him, her face a mask of dread. Closing her eyes, she replied, "Whatever punishment you wish to bestow upon me, I will take it."

Thor shook his head. "I allot you but one punishment. You, Lady Sigyn, are hereby confined to the realm of Asgard until it is commanded otherwise." Her eyes popped open, and a hand flew to her mouth. He noticed her head jerk slightly to the side, as if she had just stopped herself from shaking it. He laid a hand on her shoulder, the size of the former causing it to completely cover the latter. She shuddered at his touch, as if terrified he would break her. "It is for your own protection. You know nothing of the other realms. I understand your devotion to my brother, but I cannot allow you put yourself in danger, Sigyn. I cannot bear to have another member of my family vanish," Thor's voice was gentle. Sigyn's hand slowly fell, and she closed her eyes, nodding. Her expression tensed up, as if she was holding back tears. He made no move to embrace her after her previous display. Thor kept his hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry."

She calmed and let out a sigh, opening her eyes, but without raising her gaze. "I understand."

He let go of her. "Would you like to speak more?"

"If my king wishes, yes," Sigyn replied in a hollow tone.

Thor thought she would say as much. "I believe it is better I left you alone. I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I apologize if I had."

A small smile formed on her face. "Thank you."

Thor turned, and took the first few steps back into the palace's interior, but not without turning back and looking at Sigyn. As he did so, his breath caught at what he saw. Sigyn's head was up, her silver eyes metallic in the hateful glare she gave him. It was so uncharacteristic of her, and so fleeting, for her head dropped quickly back down, that Thor thought his eyes had deceived him. Still, he decided it was best to keep close watch on her from then on.


End file.
